


Things that go Akko in the night

by AuthorMontresor



Category: Little Witch Academia
Genre: Candies, Celebration Fic, Choke-full of folklore references, F/F, Fluff, Halloween, Halloween Costumes, Hope you like this, Kalevala, My First Fanfic, SO MANY CANDIES, Sweet, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, With the tiniest amount of drama
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-31
Updated: 2018-11-01
Packaged: 2019-08-11 13:32:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,544
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16476509
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AuthorMontresor/pseuds/AuthorMontresor
Summary: Halloween at last! It is the darkest night in the year, and witches walk among us. While ordinary Luna Nova students prepare for a candy and costume-based experience, Diana Cavendish refuses to partake in such a travesty. She has her own, important, reasons. But when Diana finds herself truly alone, and Akko still hopes to see her beyond all hope, before the night is over Diana might find herself taking an unexpected decision...A sweet, fluffy tale for a sweet, fluffy night. Mostly comedic, the occasional feel may appear.Halloween celebration, and first fic. Have fun!





	1. Night of fate

Diana Cavendish did know about Halloween. Of course she did. There had been, maybe, a time when she had regarded it as something more than a trivial festivity, a debauchery of what true witches ought to be, a travesty of the magical world. Nowadays she would not be caught dead in a costume.

Not now, not ever.

Her plan, before her plan crashed, had been to spend the night on her own, studying, checking the Cavendish Manor's balance, go to bed early, and wake up early on the first of November. Be a productive member of society.

That was before Akko, of course. Akko seemed created to crash her plans.

"Hey! What's your costume for tonight?" Akko had asked her, her large maroon eyes widening in wonder. She rocked on her heels. "Lotte is coming as some old song-wizard from her people, Sucy is... being Sucy, and I will come as a..."

"Akko," Diana had said, closing her book and trying to convey the most mature, serious look she could. "I do not think you will see me tonight. I do not believe chasing candies to be a passable past-time for any self-respecting witch, once you grow older than five."

Akko had tilted her head in that adorable way of hers, the way that made Diana's heart pump faster and gave her an urge to just step over and hug her and hold her against her chest. Not for the last time, Diana thanked heaven for her self-restraint.

"Huh?" Akko had replied. "You... you are not coming?"

Diana had sighed.

"No, Akko. I am quite busy tonight, I am afraid. I will see you tomorrow."

"But... but..." Akko had fidgeted. "But you _have_ to come! What am I going to do without you there? You _have_ to come!"

Diana had pursed her lips. Why Akko had to make _everything_ so difficult? She _did not_ go out on Halloween. She just did not. Diana had her... reasons.

"I am afraid my decision is final, Akko."

Akko had deflated.

"Oh. I see... if that's your decision, then... I would have hoped... but I don't want to... I'm not... well, it's nothing, really..."

Akko had waved at her and came back to sit down next to Sucy and Lotte, who had asked her if anything was wrong. Akko had waved a hand, said _it's nothing_ , and that, as far as Diana was concerned, was supposed to be the end.

She was supposed to feel calm, and look forward to tonight's work.

Maybe a little pang of regret, but nothing that should worry her.

She would make up it to Akko.

She should not have replayed time and time again in her mind Akko's disappointed face. Her silence, her pouted lips, the sadness in her eyes.

Morning gave room to afternoon, and afternoon to evening.

Diana found herself sitting at her desk, a steaming cup of tea to her left, the opened balance book to her right, a quill into her hand, and biting into her fingers.

She had been looking at the page, the empty page, for half an hour now, and the page was staring back at her.

"I had to change it so quickly," came Barbara's voice from behind the bookshelf, "I had thought Lotte would go as a _Night Light_ character!"

"I know, I know," answered Hannah's panicked voice. "I mean, 'Miskatonic' University? I'm not even sure that's even a _real_ place! Amanda is going to laugh at me for a week!"

Diana risked a peek from behind the bookshelf.

Hannah was in the middle of changing from a book character into something that resembled, or was supposed to resemble... a... winged monster of some kind? She had large, leathery wings stretching from her back, and carried now her hair in braids. Diana had no idea who, or what, she was trying to represent. As always, she had tried to put the least amount of thought in this bloody festivity.

As for Hannah... she was probably even stranger. A pile of books lay at her feet, and she was reading passages as she covered her body with black cloth, tangled in tentacles, covered by a large number of white, unblinking eyes.

What exactly was _that_? Hannah disappeared inside the costume, resembling a talking black sack, full of eyes and tentacles and teeth.

"How do I look like?" She asked Barbara, busy stretching her wings so that they did not fall in front of her.

"Like a living nightmare."

"Thank you! _Tekali-li, tekali-li_!" She shrieked.

"I believe it was _tekeli_ , not _tekali_ ," Barbara commented. Hannah sent a quick look at one of the books.

"Oh, damn, you are right! I'm _never_ going to get this right."

"I know! And I don't know _one word_ in Finnish!"

The two embraced as they let out a long, despairing wail.

"This is going to be the worst!"

"We're just going to make a fool out of ourselves!"

Diana shook her head and came back to look at her empty book.

Costumes and candies. Preposterous. She was a _serious_ witch, and she had _serious_ stuff to do. And by the way this blasted festivity was... something she better not think about.

Therefore Diana Cavendish rolled up her sleeves, and began to scribble numbers down on the page. There. A few hours of accounting would make her feel much, much better.

She just had not to think about Akko.

 

-

 

Akko was trying not to think about Diana. Not too hard, at least. It wasn't right! Diana just did not know how fun Halloween could be! She had a half-mind to get out of her room, knock on her door, and drag her out, by force, if necessary. She could turn into an elephant or something even stronger, and make sure Diana _had some fun_. Good fun. Mandatory fun.

She deflated against the desk.

That would not be very respectful, would it? Diana needed her space.

And yet...

"Akko?" Lotte called from behind. "Are you alright?"

Lotte was dressed all in white, a long, fake white beard covering half of her face. She still wore her glasses and it was a stark contrast with her orange hair and freckled face.

"Yes," Akko sort-of-lied. One the one hand, Halloween was exciting, an amazing night of fun with her friends!an On the other hand, the one friend she wanted more than anybody else to be there... wouldn't come... she did not even had a costume.

"If miss Prim-and-Proper does not come," Sucy commented in a hiss, "it's her loss. Cheer up! I want you to be alert. Poisoning you as you are right is not going to be half as fun."

Akko groaned. In a way, Sucy was trying to make her feel better, even if the idea of being poisoned was not high on her priority list.

"Yes, but..."

"Akko," Lotte said as she put a hand on her shoulder. "I am sure Diana has her own reasons not to come. You should think about having fun with the three of us! Maybe she will come later!"

"As if," Sucy cackled, but nodded. "Think about having fun, Akko! There's more to life than Cavendish's mood swings." Sucy floated in mid-air, nothing behind her torso visible. The upper half was covered in shiny expanses of leathery flesh, stretched in two large wings wrapped around Sucy's costume. As far as scary costumes went, Sucy had beaten them all. She twirled the long, black tongue coming out of her mouth. "I am _not_ going to let this night go to waste."

"I see, guys," Akko said in the end. She still would have preferred to have Diana with her tonight, but if she did not want to... losing her good mood and spend the night miserable was not going to help either of them. She rose from her chair and hugged Lotte and Sucy, who was too slow to try and float out of reach. "Thank you! I'm sure this night is going to be memorable."

"That's for sure," Sucy cackled. She patted Akko on her back with one leathery wing.

"So, are we ready?" Lotte asked, putting a silver helmet on to cover her head. She took the strange harp Akko had seen her manufacture during the last week. It looked like it was made from half the maw of some odd creature, maybe a fish or something. Lotte's fingers danced on the chords and a shivering, melancholy tune filled the room.

Akko found herself thinking of clear skies, blue lakes and tall pines.

Then the moment passed, she managed to smile and twirled in her white costume, reaching her bare feet.

"Yes! I will be the best Yuki-onna Luna Nova has ever seen!"

The evening had just stretched into night, and the three of them exited their room. Akko and Lotte walked, and Sucy floated, mischief already burning in her single visible eye.

On their way out of Luna Nova, they crossed path with a trio. It took Akko a moment to recognize them.

"Amanda?"

The red-haired witch grinned at Akko. She was dressed in a dapper brown suit straight out of the Twenties, her hair slicked back and a pair of sophisticated pince-nez dancing on her nose. She adjusted her white tie and grinned even wider.

"Why, my dear, this is Professor William Dyer, geologist, from Miskatonic University!" Amanda bowed slightly and took her bare hand, kissing it. "And who would you be?"

Akko giggled at Amanda's antics. She twirled, spreading white powder from a hidden pocket.

"Yuki-onna! It's not winter yet, but I am going to dance anyway!"

The other two were less recognizable. Well, Constanze was, though she was... covered in metal? And was that an antenna atop her head?

"Oh, that's from that movie, isn't it?" Lotte asked as she crouched in front of Constanze. " _Gute Nacht, Maria_ ," Lotte greeted her.

Constanze just nodded, her expression even more unreadable than usual behind the layers of aluminum. She seem satisfied with herself, though.

"I though nobody would get _that_ reference," Amanda said, a little bit shocked. She scratched her chin. "Somebody still has to recognize _me_ ," she said.

"Oh, I did get it," Sucy answered with a grin, "I do wonder where you left your prized student!"

"Probably he's still in that mental ward," Amanda grinned. She and Sucy laughed at some inner joke Akko did not really understand, but it was fine. This was the other best part of Halloween! Costumes and cute references! A shame Diana couldn't...

No, really, she had to _stop_ thinking about Diana.

She busied herself with trying to understand what kind of costume Jasminka was wearing. She was dressed in a coat of mail and leather jacket, complete with tall boots, helmet, bow and arrows and a small sword. Her hair were braided in front of her chest.

"And who would you be?"

"Oh I know this one!" Lotte pointed her finger at her, a large smile upon her face! "Bogatyri! I don't know which one, though! The costume is perfect though!"

Jasminka nodded and patted her chest, evidently satisfied Lotte had recognized her. Akko had no idea what a 'bogateeree' was.

"Vasilisa Mikulichna, of course! Do you want to know about the game of golden ring and silver spike?"

Lotte blushed slightly.

"M-maybe not right now."

Jasminka crossed her arms over her chest and leaned forward.

"At any rate... nice to see you came back with on your copper boat, Väinämöinen!"

Lotte blushed. Her white beard danced as she tried to come up with words. Jasminka seemed extremely pleased with herself.

Akko felt some of her worries wash away. She was with her friends, now, and everything was going to be fine.

 

-

 

Diana lifted her head from the page. Nothing was fine.

Outside, the night had blotted out the sky, and all was dark. The only source of light was the dancing flame of the candle she kept on the desk. She had long since finished drinking her tea, though the page in front of her had also remained mostly empty.

She sighed, the only sound in the room.

Hannah and Barbara had left, what? An hour ago?

Who knows where Akko was. Probably filling her hat with candies, knowing her.

She would have wanted nothing more than... just spend time together with her.

But not tonight.

Not tonight.

Diana stood up from the chair. She needed a pause. She was not sure a pause from _what_ , but she felt like she needed it.

The room was empty and dark. Outside, the hallway welcomed her like an empty, black maw. She was all alone, the single circle of light tossed from the tip of her wand an island in a sea of velvety darkness.

She was all alone.

Diana sighed, turned her wand off, and came back in.

It just wasn't her night.

And Akko could not help her.

 

-

 

Now that magic was restored, the inhabitants of Glastonbury knew this would be a Halloween to remember. The threat of a trick was much more real than usual, and therefore treats thrived. Candies' stores had been under assault for weeks, because nobody wanted to be found empty-handed. People had to go to Blytonbury to fill their houses with candies, who, being farther from the school, had been saved from the gluttonous fury of Luna Nova's students.

As the night went on, streets filled with the victorious cries of witches and Glastonbury kids alike, cheers rising high in the sky as they celebrated their costumes and loot alike.

"Look at this!" Akko cried, showing off the contents of her bag to Sucy. "Look at this! I have never seen so many sweets together, and I _have_ been in Jasminka's room!"

"Makes you want to eat them all right now, doesn't it?" Sucy replied with a slight grin. By now, Akko had learned how to recognize the signs. She withdrew her bag from her prying eyes.

"You are not going to mix some strange stuff with them, are you?"

"Who knows," Sucy shrugged, "maybe I already did."

"I'm just happy everybody is having a good time," Lotte said, strumming a few notes on her harp. For all her shyness, Akko had seen her harp work wonders. Whenever Lotte thought they had not received enough, a few notes on her harp would push even the most stone-hearted person to cry out, say something about the Sampo - whatever that might have been - and double the output, whispering words against the Witch of the Frozen Land. Lotte seemed delighted by such reactions.

A few other groups had been luckier than them, but not by much. Akko had seen Amanda walk by, accompanied by what seemed like an extremely pleased black bag of darkness and eyes, shrieking ' _Tekeli-li, Tekeli-li_ ' like there was no tomorrow.

"Yes!" Akko said, grasping a handful of candies and throwing them all around, dancing as they fell. "I am the first Yuki-onna to dance in sugar instead of snow!"

Sucy took one random candy from the ground, unwrapped it and tasted it.

She spat it out.

"Pah!"

"Hey! Eat your own!" Akko chided her.

"They taste the same. For now, at least. Still can't understand why nobody is making _Amanita_ -flavoured candies these days. There's a huge market."

"I'm... uh, sure?" Akko tried to encourage her, because she was her friend, but not too much, because she was Sucy.

"They taste like nuts," Sucy mused, her long black tongue slicking around her mouth. "Quite pleasant, I assure you."

 

-

 

Diana had made a few more notes on her book, but nothing much. The candle was dying. Maybe she'd better just go to bed. Tomorrow it would be a new day, a day where she would not be forced to relive certain thoughts. She could make up with Akko, maybe invite her for a tea in Blytonbury. Her treat, of course, even with how tight her finances were.

Who knows what Akko was doing.

Or, rather, she _knew_ what Akko was doing. Having fun with her friends, showing off her beautiful costume, being loud, obnoxious, tiring and inspiring and amazing and beautiful as only Akko could.

She had risked being part of that experience, tonight. And instead, look at her, busy with old books and balances she could work on tomorrow, or the day after, even. Now that she had stopped the waste that Aunt was, her balance was steadily coming out of the red and back in black.

Still...

Still... tonight...

Diana looked outside. Glastonbury. Akko was in Glastonbury, without her.

And Diana couldn't... wouldn't...

Even if it was with Akko... she...

 

-

 

Akko, Sucy and Lotte walked down a dim-lit road. By now Akko's candy loot was so heavy she had to carry it over her shoulder. Lotte had suggested magic, but Akko wanted to feel the weight of her success. She grinned as they left the canter of Glastonbury, looking for a few secluded houses they had yet to raze.

"This is better than two years ago," Sucy nodded to herself. "Dancing with Tindalos Hounds gets old fast."

"The night is still young!" Akko cried. "There's still room for more candies! And more tricks! And I can't wait to show Diana and she's going to be so jealous!"

Lotte and Sucy shared a look. Sucy shrugged, an impressive feat given she was a floating torso.

"Akko... even if she does not come..." Lotte began, but Akko shook her head.

"I know she's going to! Whatever she may think, I'm sure she's going to take back what she said and come to see us! I just know it."

Lotte deflated. There was no reasoning with Akko, not when she was like this.

All around them, the few lights dimmed even further. The road seemed to stretch all around them, and the feverish light of distant start grow hollow, staring back at them.

"Uhh... guys? I... I don't like this," Lotte chimed in as she scooted closer to Sucy.

"Ah, the stars are righting," Sucy commented.

"What does that mean? Whoa, it's getting cold!" Akko let go of her loot to warm herself, brushing her hands together. Her breath came out in a small white cloud. "Hey! I did not want to be an actual Yuki-onna!"

The lights disappeared. Now in complete darkness, silence fell. The three of them fell against each other.

"What's happening?" Lotte's fingers reached for her harp, but their song came out muted, as if from underwater.

"The Sleeper awakes," Sucy chanted, a pleased grin appearing on her features.

"Sucy, what are you... oh." Akko's words died as she heard a sound. Creaking of wood. A large cart approached, and a huge black horse went before it, hunched as if under a great weight. Sitting on the cart, slowly approaching them, a tall, gaunt figure looked upon the road with brimstone eyes, letting out a red glow, visible even beneath the large, rounded hat it wore.

"W-what's happening?" Akko shivered as the cold wind caressed her skin like thin knives. "What's that?"

Light came back. A dancing, candle-light.

From the street's corner, tall figures dressed in a dirt white cloth waltzed in.

"Zmebedei... zmebedei," they chanted, their voice like choking on gravel. The brightness came from a large bone they held in their shriveled hand, aflame with a red, empty light. They approached them, as did the cart, encroaching them. Sucy cackled. She looked like she was having the time of her life.

"Stand back, you ugly things!" Akko drew her wand. "I am not afraid of you!"

The gaunt figure upon the cart rose. From beneath the hat, twin red lights shone, burning like coals. There came a deadly laughter, echoing horribly around the walls.

"Young fool!" It called. "Young fool! You dare say such things in the face of the Ankou?"

Lotte blanched. Akko, who had no idea why, still pointed her wand at the apparition, while their shadows were scattered all around by the dancing lights from the white figures.

"Zmebedei... zmebedei..." came their horrible chorus.

"I have no idea what you are or from which hole you crawled out, but if you come for my friends or my candy, you are going to get neither!"

  The white figures closed in. Akko felt the heat from the flames.

Then came yet another laughter, but this one was quite different. It was clear, high, and pleasant, like a dash of spring rain falling atop silver bells.

And Akko knew that laughter.

She blinked as the Ankou fell upon itself with mirth.

"Wait, you are..."

The Ankou opened its mantle and took off its hat with a grand gesture. Beneath, flaming red hair shone in the night, as light came back, and Professor Ursula covered her mouth with her hand as her laughter echoed all around.

"Professor?!" Akko's face fell just as Sucy let out yet another cackle.

"I knew it," she said. "I knew it!"

"Oh, my dear Akko! You reacted just as we expected!"

"We?!" Akko turned around, as if to expect other people come in. The white robed figures, still holding their flaming bones, took down their hood, revealing a certain purple-haired witch.

"Pro-... Croix? What's happening?"

"Special permission, kid," their former nemesis, former professor, answered, her trademark grin back on her features. "Somebody voiced for me."

Akko scratched her head.

"Who?"

For some reason, Lotte elbowed her.

The copies of Croix faltered, shivered and blinked out of existence, leaving only one, right next to Akko.

"Liked the trick?"

"I thought they had taken your wand," Sucy commented. Croix grinned.

"That was not magic."

"So... are you... here together? Doing trick or treat?"

"Oh, no," Ursula replied, sitting once more on her cart. She took out an apple from her robes and she tossed it at her horse. "It's more of a... private thing. We have scared four groups of witches, seven groups of kids, two elderly couples, a policeman, and Professor Finn-"

"Wait, why are you here? I thought you were on vacation!"

Croix and Ursula shared a look. Croix snickered.

"Oh, Chariot used to," she said at last.

Akko scratched her head once more. She felt as if she had skipped a meeting and something had happened right under her nose, but she had no idea about what.

"Anyway..." Lotte began, "... you were the Ankou, were you not, Professor? But what about..."

Croix shook her still-alight bone.

"The _M'nata_ , kiddo. A tradition from my country. It's supposed to come a little later in the year, but whatever. I like flaming bones."

"And what about Diana, Akko? Is she not with you?" Ursula asked.

"Oh. She... she said she did not want to come. Thought Halloween was childish and stuff." Akko shrugged. "Not that I mind," she said, scrunching up her nose and crossing her arms.

Croix and Ursula shared another look.

"Whatever, kid. What's important is that you're having fun," Croix commented, before jumping on Ursula's cart. The Professor put her hat back on and pulled on the reins.

"We're going to find a few more groups to scare," Ursula said as she waved at them, in particular at Akko. "Take care, everybody! I'm sure Diana is going to come too!"

"Nice costume," Croix said, pointing at Sucy. "Asuwang, right?"

Sucy nodded. Her mouth opened in a wide grin, as her black tongue coiled around her neck.

"This is no costume," she replied.

Croix was stunned for a moment, then laughed. Her laughter and Ursula's cart both got lost behind a corner, and normalcy came back.

"That was... unexpected," Lotte said as she held her harp close to her chest.

From afar, a blast cut the night. Akko turned back, looking in the vague direction of the Glastonbury Tor. The tree that had grown around the structure shook as if something had hit it. Sparkles lit up the night all around the structure, and a streak of light slowly disappeared.

"What was _that_?"

"No idea. This night is getting interesting, thought. I could use some Yuggoth fungi to go with all these emotions," Sucy commented.

"Uhm, maybe we will find some Yuggoth-flavoured candies in the next house," Lotte tried to mediate.

"Unlikely."

"Whatever," Akko said, taking her bag of candies upon her shoulders once again. "I had hoped Diana would turn up by now."

"Maybe she will come soon?"

"She's not going to," Akko said as she shook her head. "We're having this much fun and meeting all these people and enjoying all these wonderful costumes and she's up there in her room and not here..." Akko grumbled. Her face fell as she aimed for the nearest house. "Let's try this one, Sucy... maybe they have some of that _yuggorth_..."

Another blast filled the darkness. A flash of green. Something fell. Akko found herself on her back, looking up at the stars. Next to her, Lotte blinked laying on her back, and Sucy had been pushed against the wall of a house by the explosion.

In the middle of a glass crater stood the smoking, ash-covered figure of a blonde witch, adjusting her charred clothes. She looked upon Akko with a blush on her face.

"Uhm... can I still join?" Diana Cavendish asked.

 

-

 

Point was, once Diana Cavendish took a decision, made up her mind, set her will and focus onto a clear goal, nothing could stop her. Not even a frantic Professor Finneran, shutting herself into the broom hall.

"Professor," Diana knocked on the door. "Please, listen to me! There's nobody out here! I need my broom for... for..." Diana balled her fists. "I just _really_ need it! Please see reason!"

From the inside came the muffled sound of a spell directed at the door. Luckily Professor Nelson had thought of reinforcing the door with a plethora of enchantments, to try and hinder a certain red-headed student.

 

-

 

Amanda sneezed.

A black sac, covered with eyes, pointed a few more at her. From inside, Hannah's voice asked:

"Are you alright?"

"Hm? Sure, someone is just thinking of me," Amanda cockily answered. She passed a hand through her hair. "Professor Dyer fears nothing, in this and other dimensions."

The black, eye-covered sac swooned.

 

-

 

"Go away, cart of death! Go away, morbid procession of flames!" Professor Finneran's voice pronounced a few more spells against the door, but it held. Diana groaned. Just when she had made up her mind... and this happened. Whatever had scared Professor Finnneran enough to push her to hide into what was more or less the broom closet seemed to have chased reason out of her mind.

Diana closed her eyes. She was sure there was a diplomatic, rational solution to this conundrum. If she had, say, a couple hours, a dozen cups of tea and a foot massage, she could find something to calm the Professor down, and avoid damage, either to school property or her pride.

But time was of the essence.

Therefore, Diana took a page out of Akko's book.

"Please forgive me, Professor," she mouthed, pointing her was at the door. " _Murowa_!" She exclaimed.

Now, the door had been enchanted by Professor Nelson, and it was ten centimeters of thick, resistant wood. Long it had withstood the innumerable attempts by students to blast it open.

But it was no ordinary student the one who now stood in front of the door. It was Diana Cavendish, Moonlight Witch, Heir of Beatrix, Savior of Magic, and it was a Diana Cavendish hell-bent on taking her broom, and taking it _now_.

There was a green flash and a great toll, like a thunder rolling down on the plains. Diana entered through the blasted door, tall and imposing in the middle of rubble and still-burning splinters of blackened wood.

In the corner, Professor Finneran trembled, covering her face with both hands.

"It's not my hour yet! It's not my hour yet!"

"It is _mine_ ," Diana deadpanned, taking her broom. It answered immediately to her command. Her will was set. Now, there was just that pesky leyline to overcome. For the night, it was policy to place strict wards, to avoid a certain red-headed student from leaving the school unattended.

 

-

 

Amanda sneezed again.

"Word!" She said, scrunching up her nose. "This must be the effect of spending months in that bloody Antarctica!" Next to her, the eye-covered black sac offered her a tissue. "Why, thank, you: you are quite the well-behaved Shoggoth. Now, where was I? Ah, yes, those huge penguins..."

The black sac let out a high-pitched squee.

 

-

 

Thus, Diana only now had to face the wards put on by the entire faculty on the leyline connecting Luna Nova and Glastonbury. Separating her from Akko. The wards that made sure no monster, or eldritch creature, could attempt to threaten the lives of students while they slept. Surely there was no formidable barrier in all of Europe. Compared to this, blasting open the broom hall's door was kid's play.

Diana flew in the air with the grace and swiftness of a comet. She pointed her wand at the leyline, which answered with the flashing red of its warnings.

Diana Cavendish pronounced a single word.

 

-

 

Diana shrugged, pointing at the still-smoking crater.

"And that's that."

Akko blinked.

Lotte and Sucy exchanged a look. Sucy seemed extraordinarily amused with everything that had just transpired, while Lotte mildly worried about what their morning might bring, between Finneran and... well... pretty much everything else...

"So, uhm..." Diana kneaded her arm. "Now I am here? I guess? I was thinking... I do not wish to be a bother to you all, but if you still have a place in your group, you know... maybe I could..."

Akko smiled. She tossed her arms to the sky, her wand already lit.

"Metamorphie Vestiesse!" She shouted. Diana did not even had the time to raise her arms to protect herself as a flash enveloped her, and a moment later, she found herself covered from head to toe in an aristocratic dress, black and red. She touched her mouth, spitting out a pair of fake teeth.

She lifted an eyebrow in direction of Akko.

"What?" Akko asked, crossing her arms, but she was still smiling. "It's Halloween, no way you are coming with m-... with _us_ dressed like that!"

"I know, but... a vampire?"

"It's classic, it's aristocratic, and it's..." Akko blushed. "Well, it's... cool."

Lotte chuckled, while Sucy rolled her eyes up.

Diana blushed slightly as well, but she set her fake teeth back into her mouth.

"Whatever. Now that she's here what..."

"We're going back to the central square," Lotte interjected, already pulling Sucy by her leather sleeve.

"What? No! I-"

" _I_ remembered I have some _important business_!" Lotte's eyes flashed. "See you there, or at school tomorrow."

Lotte dragged a still-protesting Sucy into a corner, and they disappeared, though the echo of Sucy's voice followed them for a long time.

"So..." Akko said, blushing slightly and walking to take her back of candies back. "What do you wanna do first?" She blushed a little harder. "I _meant_! Wanna collect candies together?"

Diana blushed as well, but there was a smile upon her lips. She walked up to Akko and offered her arm. Akko looked at it for a moment, then took it with a huge grin.

"I would ask for nothing else," Vampire Diana said, as she walked together with the snow-spirit.

 

-

 

Sucy sulked. As far as sulkings went, this was world-class.

"Come on," she grumbled, "why did you do that?" She whipped her head towards Lotte, her single red eye burning in the night. "I could not wait to witness them! Don't tell me watching them crash and burn wouldn't have been _hilarious_."

Lotte raised two fingers.

"First, _language_. No double negation. Second, Akko deserves this. And she needs to feel free and without pressure, at least tonight."

Sucy grumbled.

"You're just applying what you read in your silly books," Sucy replied. She spotted a couple kids turning a corner. They froze at the sight of her dire appearance. She opened her arms and let out a high rhythmic cry, her black tongue rattling in the night:

" _Tik-tik-tik-tik_!" She screamed opening and closing her mouth.

The kids shrieked and ran away, letting their candies fall onto the floor. Sucy, now in higher spirits, walked up to the spilled loot. "You know what? You help me find a few more kids to scare half to death, and we're even."

"That's okay," Lotte agreed. She held her harp close to her chest. "I might sing a song or two as we do so."

 

-

 

Akko rang yet another doorbell. By now her candies' bag was so large she had to hold it with both arms. Diana had offered to help, but Akko had refused. Nothing like feeling the result of your own efforts.

The door opened, revealing a tired-looking middle-aged woman.

"Trick or treat!" Akko declared, waving her hands. From one of her hidden pockets, she spread another bit of that white powder, imitating snow.

"And what would you be?" She asked.

"Yuki-onna! A spirit of death and snow! Come on, don't you watch anime around here?"

"I suggest you would do as she says," Diana said. Her plastic teeth tarnished the image of aristocratic, dangerous vampire she wanted to convey, if but a little, but there was enough fire in her azure eyes to take the woman aback.

"S-sure," she stammered, throwing all the candy she had at Akko's feet. "Just leave me alone!" And she shut the door.

Akko chuckled.

"Not all people are gracious, but since you came here they are all generous."

Diana blushed slightly, looking aside. She only held a couple candies in her hand. She had refused a bag, preferring to carry them herself. Akko could appreciate the sentiment.

"High-ho!" She exclaimed, pushing the bag onto her shoulder. "Oof! This is getting heavy... I think we can rest for a moment."

"I would like that, yes," Diana replied, following Akko a short while, until they found a marble step where to rest their tired legs.

Akko stretched her legs and arms. In her white dress, she shone at the light of the moon.

"This was the best Halloween ever! Sucy and Lotte had so much fun! And I collected so much loot... and of course, you are here!" Akko froze when she realized what she had just said. She fidgeted, finding the pavement the most interesting thing in the world all of a sudden. "I mean... I am happy you... managed... to... come..."

Diana nodded, the ghost of a blush appearing on her lips as well.

"I am glad. I also think this was the best Halloween ever. I am not that satisfied with my costume, though... next year I will make one of my own design."

"Oh! What are you going to be?"

"Not sure. I will see if I can find some inspiration. Something a little more... Cavendish." She winked.

"Alright! We'll have to work on it, to make sure it fits! And I don't want to come as Yuki-onna twice in a row, but I will make sure to find something interesting! I was thinking about a Yamata-no-Orochi, but it's gonna be a lot of work, so maybe..."

"...we can work on this together?" Diana offered.

"Whoa! That would be... yes! Thank you! That would be wonderful!"

Akko embraced her, and Diana, after a moment of shock, did the same.

They rested against the steps, against each other, under the moonlight. As far as Akko was concerned, this was a perfect moment, for the perfect Halloween. There was just one thought that marred it. Never one to hesitate, Akko looked up towards Diana and asked:

"You said you did not want to come. Why?"

Diana's whose eyes had rested upon Akko until that moment, shied away, but they came back.

"It's... it's not the best time of the year to me. Used to be, at least. Tonight with you... I believe it has banished a fair share of ghosts back into the dark burrows from hence they came."

Akko grinned. She flicked Diana's nose.

"You can get so complicated."

"I am not complicated," Diana replied, the blush coming back onto her cheeks. "I am dignified."

"Sure. So? What kind of ghosts? I can blast them!"

"You already did," Diana softly said, interlacing her fingers with Akko. "You already did." A frown creased her brow, but she did not stop. "The only Halloween comparable to this was my second-last. I used to get so excited for this holiday. The candies, the lights, the costumes... everything. I always had a wonderful time. Preparing them with my mother, getting praised for a choice of color or a daring cardboard monster head. She made sure to come with me, as... as long as she could."

Akko's hand coiled around Diana.

"Oh, so it was... I'm sorry. I should have thought. I should..."

"No, Akko. You did well in trying to push me to get past it. It's not just related to Mother. The following year... I tried to go with my cousins. They were..." a shadow passed on her face, "... unpleasant. The whole ordeal was highly unpleasant, I am afraid."

It was Akko's turn to frown.

"You know, I did forget them for that stuff with the snakes and the tree, last year. But I..."

"Akko, I beg of you. It is in the past. I decided to let it go. I thought you might... miss me. I decided to come down, and spend the night with you, and make better memories atop the old ones, might they be dark, or bittersweet."

Akko bit the inside of her mouth.

"And were they..." she blushed so hard for a moment she seemed to glow. "Were they sweet? These, uh, new memories of yours."

Diana smiled softly. With all the kindness in the world, she lifted her fingers, took Akko's chin between them, and slowly tilted it towards her.

"Sweeter they could be not," Diana replied, putting a soft kiss upon Akko's lips.

After a moment, Diana stopped, spit out her fake teeth.

"One more attempt?" She inquired.

"Let's," Akko nodded.

 

-

 

Lotte held up her harp, an intense look upon her face.

A _kantele_ , Sucy had learned it was called. Whatever. This was gold. Maybe even better than watch Akko make a fool out of herself. She took a sniff from her Yuggoth fungus. Amanda was a girl with _connections_ , she had to admit.

Sucy giggled.

So good.

In the middle of Glastonbury's square, Lotte stood upon a huge pile of candies, drawing sweet and strong notes from her _kantele_.

Kids and witches were all gathered around her as she sang. At the other end of the pile, Barbara England, blushing furiously, flapped her fake wings and snarled, trying to keep a straight face.

" _Louhi, Pohjolan emäntä,_

_kutsui Pohjolan kokohon._

_Pani joukon jousihinsa,_

_laittoi miehet miekkoihinsa!_ "

She sang.

Barbara, who seemed not to understand one word of what Lotte was singing, was at a loss. She merely flapped her wings as her name was called.

Lotte's singing had attracted all sort of people to the show. The square was filled with kids, witches - Sucy recognized Amanda, still dressed in her ridiculous outfit, and Jasminka, singing in tune to Lotte - and bystanders, drawn by Lotte's prodigious voice.

For a moment Sucy heard the roaring of winds and the crashing of tides, far-away thunder, and screams of clashing weapons.

Sucy cackled as Lotte drew a few more notes. Really, this would be a night to remember.

And she still had to poison _that_  large a number of people!

 

-

 

Akko and Diana walked in the night, holding hands. In the end, Akko had been convinced to get a little help, and her huge amount of candies now floated in front of her, coated by a green sheen of Diana's magic.

Akko heard music coming from somewhere.

"Hey! That's Lotte's voice!"

Diana's heart was instantly moved. For an instant, it seemed to her as if she was standing in the middle of the sea, together with Akko, and she heard two powerful voices in the air, calling onto her. Into her heart rose an urgency, a call onto arms, to defend a great treasure. One not as important as the one she still held in her hand, but important still.

When Akko ran towards Glastonbury's central square, she saw Lotte standing atop a mountain of candy. And was that... Barbara?

Akko looked at her.

"What are you waiting for?"

Diana blinked, then smiled as she saw the fire in Akko's heart catching onto her own.

Akko took her huge bag of candies onto her arms and ran into the fray. Diana followed her, still holding hands.

They jumped into the mountain of candy. The bag ripped, spilling its contents and adding them onto the mix. Akko and Diana walked at the top, where Lotte welcomed her, still singing, with a large smile. She pointed her finger at her and intoned yet another stanza:

" _Soua, seppo Ilmarinen!_

_Soua, lieto Lemminkäinen,_

_soutakatte, kaikki kansa,_

_jotta juoksisi venonen,_

_pursi eestä ennättäisi!_ "

Akko had no idea what Lotte had just said, no idea at all, but she jumped at the group of witcches and kids around Barbara - were those wings? - putting a hand into her pocket, she threw her last handful of snow-like powder onto them.

And sweetest of them all, even sweeter than Lotte's singing, was Diana's echoing laughter in her ears.


	2. Morning, morning

The day after came with its share of surprises.

Professor Finneran was found in a state of shock, covered by brooms, in her closet. She was still shivering when they took her out. She had to rest for seven days before she came out of it, and ever since she had been uneasy around large, black hats and white candles.

Nobody was able to find out how the doors had been blasted open. The leyline suffered some minor damage, but thanks to the early-morning efforts of Professor Callistis, together with another undisclosed person, it was in working condition by nine o'clock. When Professor Callistis asked for three more days of vacation after the events of Halloween night, they were given without fuss.

As for the students, nobody could quite remember what exactly happened in the square of Glastonbury, or how on the morning of the first day of November, most of the square was covered in candies, and candies wrappings. A particularly large mound of candies was found to resemble the shape of a boat, to the amazement of the inhabitants.

For days, people in Glastonbury found themselves whistling a particular tune; when asked, they would not be able to remember where they heard it. Many of those people would visit Finland that winter.

Amanda O'Neill woke up in the wee hours of the day, hugging something that resembled a black sac, covered by eyes. She smiled, snuggled forward to her favourite Shoggot, and slumbered back into pleasant dreams.

Lotte's fate was a little more complicated: she was found, together with Barbara, sleeping in the middle of the hall. Her fake beard had been pushed aside, but she still held her harp close to her chest. Barbara was sprawled over her, covering her with the leathery wings of her costume. They slept on a mound of candies. Nobody could quite remember how the two of them found themselves there.

Jasminka was maybe the only person who didn't lose consciousness for the entire night. She went to bed in the morning, after making sure all the students sleeping in the hall, in the corridors, outside Luna Nova and still in Glastonbury had a handful of candies to greet them in the morning and a warm blanket to cover them.

Sucy did not appear until the evening. When she came back she was once more in her usual Luna Nova uniform, and she would say nothing of where she went or what she did. A keen-eyed person would have been able to see a small silver key glistening on her neck.

As for Akko and Diana...

 

Akko blinked.

She blinked again and came to. There was sort of... pressure on her.

And where was she? This was not her room.

Around her trees stretched in every direction. The air was crisp, but for some reason she was covered with a warm blanket. And... she had a few candies in her hand.

And she was sitting on a branch, twenty meters above the ground.

Any other person  might have felt a slight panic, but any other person was not Akko Kagari.

Akko just unwrapped one of the candies. Orange-flavoured. Not bad at all.

The weight upon her... was a tall, still-sleeping, blonde witch.

Akko lifted a hand and caressed Diana's hair.

Yesterday's night... she could not remember _all_ the details, but she did remember everything Diana had told her. She was glad they did manage to create a few more memories together... and giddy at the thought of yet more to come.

They were still lying on a tree, twenty meters from the ground, and neither of them had a broom.

Akko shrugged and snuggled a little closer to Diana, holding her tighter.

They would find a way.

In the meantime... she could do with a little more sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And this is the end of this tale! I was frankly surprised when I logged in and saw this has gotten so many kudos and even a comment! Thank you, it's incredibly appreciated! I had no idea whether this would get any interest given the night it was posted on, but thank you! I hope this tale of candies, comedy and culture references helped you pass an even better Halloween!
> 
> As for the future, I have not finished writing in the LWA fandom. I am about to publish a new story, quite the longer foray into the characters of Diana and Akko this time. A little more adventure awaits!   
> If you enjoyed this tale, please leave a kudo or a comment! I love to see your reactions and it helps immensely! Thank you for reading and see you soon!
> 
> ______
> 
> A list of folklore/popular culture references in the costumes of this story:
> 
> Akko: a Yuki-onna, a spirit of a woman who died in the snow, from Japanese folklore.  
> Sucy: An Asuwang, or Aswang, a shape-shifting monster from Philippines. Notable for its long tongue, appearing as a disembodied torso with large wings and a long prehensile tongue, and possessing a difficult temperament. Does wonders at parties. Perfect for Sucy.  
> Lotte: Väinämöinen, from Finnish legends and the Kalevala poem. I read the Kalevala when I was very young and it had a strong effect on me. Finding a character like Lotte, with her affinity to magic through song and the hidden references to Kalevala was sheer joy.
> 
> Amanda: Professor William Dyer, from a Lovecraft story. The Shoggoth and huge penguins should make it clear which one.  
> Jasminka: A Bogatyri, a wandering warrior from Slavic/Russian folklore. In this particular tale the Bogatyri in question went to win her imprisoned husband back, also thanks to a riddle... the nature of which made Lotte blush.  
> Constanze: Maria from the German movie Metropolis. A robot come to the human form, it was perfect for her.
> 
> Chariot/Ursula: The Ankou, a personification of Death in Normandy. The Ankou is famous for its cart and for its wide hat. It was a perfect choice for Chariot!  
> Croix: The M'Nata. The M'Nata is an Italian horror/folk tradition: in November, the souls of the dead come back to walk among the living, as they mumble horrid invocations in the night. Their own leg bone is used as a flaming torch, and it is said that if you look a M'Nata in the eye, they will exchange their leg bone for yours. 
> 
> Hannah: The cutest Shoggoth there ever was!  
> Barbara: Louhi, the Witch of Pohjola from the Kalevala tales.
> 
> Once more, hope you had fun with all this and see you soon!

**Author's Note:**

> Well, this is now a thing.  
> Finishing this up took a while, mostly because I had to check a lot of references and translate from Finnish. I enjoy LWA a whole lot, and I decided to create an account mostly to share this love and meet a few new friends, who knows. I mostly write original stuff but I feel more comfortable in dipping my toe in the vast sea of the Internet this way... please be gentle! If you liked the story please leave a kudo and/or a comment, and let's see how many of the references you may get! A few are vastly more obvious than others... tomorrow I will post... the aftermath.  
> Have a wonderful Halloween and remind to brush your teeth afterwards! Thank you for reading!


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